Door construction for tumbler type washing machines



1955 A. R. CONSTANTINE 2,722,119

DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR TUMBLER TYPE WASHING MACHINES Filed Feb. I7, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

AT TORN EY.

ARTHUR R. CONSTA NT\ NE.

United DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR TUMBLER TYPE WASHING MACHINES This invention relates to washing machines, and more particularly to a door sealing construction adapted for the 'horizontal axis tumble-action type of machine.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 367,861 filed July 14, 1953, for Washing Machine.

This invention has particular novelty when applied'to a tumble-action'type of machine utilizing a single rotatable fluid and laundry receiving cylinder of the type more particularly shown 'anddescribed .in my aforementioned copending application.

Prior artrmachines of the tumble-action type have usually-been provided with a so-called double tub construction "wherein a perforate clothes receiving cylinder or 'basket is rotated within a stationary imperforate liquid receiving tub. In such type of machine it has been a relatively simple matter to provide .an effective sealing arrangement for the door and the opening through the stationaryitub.

The machine disclosed in my aforementioned copending applicationrdifiers fromthe prior art machines in that it :utilizes a single imperforate liquid and clothes receiving cylinder which is rotated at low and high speeds for washing and'centrifugal extraction. Such a construction poses;a different problem from the standpoint of'sealing .the :central .door opening into the cylinder since it is desired-.to have a door which-is hinged and latched to a'stationary :cabinet, yet unust provide a satisfactory sealing .ofthe openinglin a-rotating cylinder.

'tlnza construction of-thepresent type, the door does not seat on the :dooropening win %the same angular relation .each time,.and:difiicult y;is at times encountered in pro- ;viding a good .seal to prevent water leakage due to constructional tolerances, out-ofroundness and misalignment.

.It is, .therefore,.a primary object'of the present invention to .provide .a-door and sealing means therefor which may be hinged .and latched to a stationary cabinet and .also:sealingly;engage a rotating cylinder-within the cabinet.

-It is -a zfurthenobject to .provide such a door seal construction with .means adapted to automatically compensate for variations due to constructional tolerances and .for misalignment merely upon closing the door.

Other objects andadvantages of the present invention -.will 'become readily apparent from the following more .detailed descriptionandby reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective .view of a washing machine of the ,typelo Which-the'present invention is particularly adapted Iforlnse;

:Fig. .Zdsafragmentary sectional view through the front portion .of the washing machine showing the general arrangementof theessential features of my new door con- .structionin its closed position, the view being taken substantially. along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a central bearing support for the door, the view corresponding to an enlarged central portion of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view of the .door construction in the vicinity of its annular marginal .edgeJhe view corresponding to an enlargedlowerportion. of; Fig. 2.

In Fig.1 there is shown a washing machine of the hori- Patent 2,722,119 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 Zontal axis tumble-action type adapted to employ the constructionof the present invention. The working parts of the machine are housed within a suitable cabinet comprised of a front panel 10, two side panels 11, a toppanel 12, and a back panel (not shown). The panels forming the cabinet may be joined by any conventional method to form a rigid stationary housing for the working parts of the machine.

.In Fig. 2, it may be seen that a generally cylindrical tub 13 is mounted within the cabinet for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis. Suitable means is, of course, provided for supporting the tub 13 for rotation about its axis and also for driving the tub in its rotation. The tub 13 is provided with a frontwall '14 spaced slightly from the front panel Ill of the cabinet. Located centrally of the front wall 14- of the tub 13 is an enlarged aperture 15 arranged substantially in concentricalignment with a circular aperture 16 in a recessed portion 17 of the front panel 10.

The recessed portion 17 of the front panel 10 is arranged to receive a generally circular flanged door supporting frame member :18. Suitable latching means operable by a handle "19 is .providedat one side of the frame member 18, and suitable hinge means is provided at a point'20 radially opposite therefrom :in order that "the door may swing open to insertmaterials into the tub 13.

The frame member .18 is provided with a rigid hor'izontally extending bar 21 centrallythereof upon which-is mounted, 'by any suitable means, a support housing'22.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the support housing'22'isaxially bored'and counter-bored so as to provide a suitable receptacle :for a bearing 23. The bearing 23 may be secured within the housing 22 by means of a retaining ring 2410! any other suitable means. 'Supported rotatably within the bearing 23 is :a shouldered portion 25 o'fa shaft 26. The shaft 26 is tappedto receive a screw 27 so as to rigidly secure the shoulder portion 25 within theinner rotatable portion of the bearing 23. The shaft 26 is arranged so as to pass 'freelyzthrough 'an;aperture 28 located centrally of a generally-circular dishashapeddoor 29. The door'29 is preferably, but not necessarily, made of glass, plastic or other transparent material so 'that. the operation :of the machine may -be observed visually through openings 18A in the frame meniber 18. .Each side of the door 29 centrally thereof, is provided with a counter-sunk recess 30 arranged to receive a sealing and cushioning washer 31 made of rubber or other suitable resilient material. The washers31 are held in place about the shaft26 and against the door 29 by means of metallic 'washers 32. To that end, the shaft .26 is provided with a headed1portion.33, athreadedportion 34, anda nut 35, so ?that the washers 32 and 31 may :be securely drawn into place'to prevent leakage of liquid centrally of the door '29.

At .its marginal edge, as best seen in Fig. 4, the door 29 is provided with a tapered surface'36 adapted to engage a correspondingly taperedsurface of an annular ring 37. The ring 37 is provided, at a point adjacent its inner diameter, with an upset edge 38 which is adapetd :to receive one end 39 of an annular bellows-like gasket '40. The .other en-dtofthe gasket 40 is attached=to an outwardly flared portion 41 of the tub 13, which portion 41 defines the aperture 15. The attachment of the. gasket :40 to the portion 41 may be effected by means of a ring 42-which might :have, at some point about its periphery, a means forlreducing the diameter thereof was to draw the-surfacerof thesgasket 40:into a-tightly sealed relation'with the portion 41 to effect a water tightsealto'prevent leakage ofwater. from the tub 13 about the aperture 15.

.The gasket .40 is furtherprovided, adjacent its end 39, witha continuous annular, flexible, radially inwardly extending sealing lip .43, which 'is adapted :to engage the door 29 under tension in its closed position as shown so 3 as to provide a further seal to prevent leakage of water from the tub 13 at a point between the door 29 and the ring 37. The construction of this sealing point is such as to provide sufficient yielding of the sealing lip 43 to permit the lip to normally seat perfectly around the entire periphery of the tapered portion of the door 29 engaged thereby upon application of a small degree of axial thrust as is exerted by the horizontal bar 21 through the bearing 23 when the door 29 is latched.

It may be seen (Fig. 4) that the ring 37 is mounted on a yiedling suspension from the front wall 14 of the tub 13 by means of a plurality of radially spaced lugs 44 attached to the ring 37 and corresponding lugs 45 attached to the front wall 14 of the tub 13 with a plurality of compression springs 46 extending therebetween. With the door 29 in open position, the free position of the ring 37 is limited by the engagement of a tapered face 47 thereon which engages a correspondingly tapered face 48 of another annular ring 49 attached to the front wall 14 of the tub 13. It should be noted that the springs 46 are assembled under a predetermined amount of compression so as to normally urge the faces 47 and 43 into engagement.

The construction of the yielding suspension for the ring 37 as above described is such as to provide compensation for misalignment of the axis of the tub 13 and the axis of the door 29. Also for reasonable tolerance accepted in most manufacturing procedures such as out-ofroundness, non-parallelism, etc.

Let it be assumed for instance that the door 29 is in its open position away from the aperture 15 prior to loading the tub 13 with clothes for a washing operation. The tapered surfaces 47 and 48 of the rings 37 and 49 will be engaged in their normal free position. After the tub 13 has been charged with clothes it is then desired to close and latch the door 29 over the aperture 15 in a fluid tight condition. In the event there is a misalignment of axes, the engagement of the tapered surface 36 on the door 29 with the complementary surface of the ring 37 will cause the ring 37 to shift its position to line up with the door 29, such movement assuring that the flexible lip 43 of the gasket 40 will always be in a position to be engaged and sealed by the door 29. It may be seen that the yielding or floating construction of the ring 37 as provided by the springs 46 will allow the ring 37 to shift a substantial distance to line up the sealing lip 43 with the portion of the door 29 engaged thereby.

As the tub 13 is rotated, either for a low speed washing operation or a high speed extracting operation, it may be seen that the tub 13, the ring 37, the gasket 40, the door 29 and the other related parts will all rotate together at the same speed in a fluid tight condition irrespective of misalignment of their axes.

From the foregoing it may be seen that a seal is provided having excellent sealing characteristics under a minimum thrust requirement, such sealing being effective whether the door and the tub are stationary or in rotation, and that efficient means is provided to assure perfect sealing under conditions of substantial misalignment.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is to be understood that modifications are obvious with respect to various constructional details without departing from the spirit of the invention; therefore, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific embodiment shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary support, a tub having an end wall, means for mounting said tub on said support for rotation about an axis normal to said end wall, a circular doorreceiving aperture in said end wall arranged substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation of said tub, a circular door arranged to be positioned adjacent said door-receiving aperture, a stationary hinged support for said door positioned adjacent said end wall, bearing means on said hinged support for rotatably supporting said door for rotation coaxial with said tub when said door is in closed position, an annular member resiliently supported on said end wall between said end wall and said door, a resilient continuous annular gasket having one edge thereof attached to said end wall and another edge thereof attached to said annular member, said gasket having a radially inwardly extending annular sealing lip arranged to be engaged by a portion of said door to seal said aperture, and said annular member having a surface adapted to be engaged by a portion of said door whereby to axially align said door with respect to said sealing lip.

2. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary support, a tub having an end wall, means for mounting said tub on said support for rotation about an axis normal to said end wall, a door-receiving aperture in said end wall arranged substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation of said tub, a resilient continuous annular gasket attached to said end wall about said aperture, said gasket having a radially inwardly extending annular sealing lip, a door rotatably mounted and positioned adjacent said end wall upon a stationary hinged support, said door having a surface arranged to engage said sealing lip, and means between said end wall and said door resiliently mounted upon said end wall and attached to said gasket, said last named means arranged to axially align said surface of said door with said sealing lip, whereby said tub and said door will rotate together in sealed relationship.

3. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary support, a tub having an end wall, means for mounting said tub on said support for rotation about an axis normal to said end wall, a doorreceiving aperture substantially centrally of said end wall, a door positioned adjacent said end wall, a stationary hinged support upon which said door is rotatably mounted, a resiliently mounted annular member on said end wall between said door and said end Wall, a continuous annular resilient gasket attached to said end wall and said resiliently mounted annular member, said gasket having a radially inwardly extending annular sealing lip, said resiliently mounted annular member having means thereon adapted to engage a portion of said door on closing thereof so as to urge said gasket and said sealing lip into axial alignment with a portion of said door whereby said tub and said door may rotate together in sealed relationship.

4. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary support, a tub having an end wall, means for mounting said tub on said support for rotation about an axis normal to said end wall, said tub having a substantially circular aperture arranged substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation thereof, a stationary hinged support adjacent said end wall, a substantially circular door, bearing means on said hinged support for rotatably mounting said substantially circular door, a resilient continuous annular gasket attached to said end wall about said aperture and positioned to extend between said door and said end wall when said door is closed, said gasket having an annular flexible sealing lip extending radially inwardly therefrom and adapted to engage a portion of said door to seal said aperture when said door is in closed position, and a resiliently mounted annular member attached to said end wall and to said gasket, said resiliently mounted annular member being engageable by a portion of said door to axially align said door with respect to said sealing lip when said door is moved to its closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,105,248 Johnson a- Jan. 11, 1938 2,586,794 Douglas Feb. 26, 1952 2,650,490 Glassey Sept. 1, 1953 

